cloakrooms
|cloak-room|
🇺🇸
/ˈkloʊkruːmz/
🇬🇧
/ˈkləʊkruːmz/
(cloakroom)
a room/place for coats
Etymology
'cloakroom' originates from English, specifically the compound of 'cloak' and 'room', where 'cloak' comes from Old North French 'cloque' (meaning 'hooded cloak') and 'room' comes from Old English 'rūm' (meaning 'space, chamber').
'cloak' changed from Old North French 'cloque' into Middle English 'cloke', and combined with Old English 'rūm' to form the Modern English compound 'cloakroom'.
Initially, it meant 'a room for cloaks', but over time it evolved to include 'a coat-check service', the British informal sense 'a lavatory', and the specialized sense 'a private room for members of a legislative body'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
rooms in public buildings where people can leave or hang coats and other outerwear (coat-check areas).
The theater's cloakrooms were full at intermission.
Synonyms
Noun 2
the service or place (often a staffed counter) where coats and bags are checked and stored temporarily.
We left our umbrellas at the cloakrooms before the concert.
Synonyms
Noun 3
british informal: a lavatory or toilet (especially in public places).
Excuse me, where are the cloakrooms?
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/10 22:11